The CEI Group Inc. saved client fleets $6.96 million on sedan and truck accident repairs over the first six months of 2014, the company has announced.

The savings came from a combination of reduced labor time, lower expenditures for parts and paint, and less time to get repairs completed, which saved time on temporary replacement rental expenses,  according to Bob Glose, CEI's director of operations.

"The savings continue to prove the value of having expert physical damage appraisers on staff, and CEI's effectiveness in expediting repairs at our network shops," said Glose. 

CEI's staff of 14 licensed appraisers — all former repair shop owners and managers or insurance adjusters — uses the latest integrated estimating technology to review every repair shop estimate for potential savings.  In addition to scrutinizing estimates for greater cost effectiveness, they compare estimates to photographs of damaged vehicles and police and driver accident reports. CEI then documents the savings it achieves in every claim file, with a breakdown of the sources.

"We don't achieve savings by cutting corners," said Glose.  "We make sure that all repairs necessary to restore the vehicle to complete safety status are done, and that repairs meet our customers' standards."